The invention described herein was made in the performance of official duties by employees of the Department of the Navy and may be manufactured, used, licensed by or for the Government for any governmental purpose without payment of any royalties thereon.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to sights used on firearms, and more particularly to a compact and self-contained sight assembly having both windage and elevation adjustment capability.
2. Background of the Invention
Most of today""s sophisticated hand-held firearms use a scope as the primary means for sighting. In most instances, the scope is attachable to the firearm. For example, the M4 series of carbine, as well as a number of the M16 series of rifles, have a Picatinny mounting rail (i.e, MIL-STD-1913 rail) serving as the mounting point for the scope. If the scope breaks, some other type of sight must be employed. While the inclusion of an extra scope is a possibility this requires the carrying of an extra piece of hardware into the field. Further, the user has to remove one scope and mount the replacement before the firearm can be used effectively. The time it takes for this repair can be life threatening in certain situations.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a back-up sight that can be permanently or semi-permanently mounted on a firearm.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a back-up sight that can be adjusted in terms of windage and elevation.
Still another object of the present invention to provide a back-up sight that can be mounted on a firearm while not impairing use of the firearm""s scope.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a fully adjustable, compact and self-contained backup sight that can be mounted on a firearm while not impairing use of the firearm""s attachable scope.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious hereinafter in the specification and drawings.
In accordance with the present invention, an adjustable sight assembly for attachment to a firearm is provided. A base, rigidly attachable to a firearm, defines a recessed portion. A plate having a first end and a second end is fitted loosely within the recessed portion of the base. A windage adjustment assembly cooperating with the base and the first end of the plate effects side-to-side movement of the plate within the recessed portion of the base. The windage adjustment assembly further defines a pivotal coupling of the plate to the base at the first end thereof. As a result, the second end of the plate can move along an arc when the plate is pivoted about the first end thereof. An elevation adjustment assembly cooperating with the base and the second end of the plate effects elevation of the plate""s second end thereby pivoting the plate about the first end thereof. A sight is pivotally coupled to the plate such that the sight can lie against the plate when not in use and can be rotated approximately 90xc2x0 to extend vertically from the plate when in use.